Sealed shipping case



March 7, 1939. w, A, BECKER SEALED SHIPPING cAsE Filed July 29 1938 2Sheets-Sheet 1 March 7,1939. L 2,149,720

SEALED SHIPPING CAS E Filed July 29, 1958 2 Sh eets-Sheet 2 PatentedMar. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES sump smrrmo CASE Walter A. Becker, Charlotte,N. 0.. assignor to. Old Dominion Box Company, Charlotte, N. 0.

Application July 29, I938, Serial No. 222,037

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The object of my invention is toprovide a novel sealed shipping casehaving absolutely smooth surfaces on all sides, top and bottom; toprovide a shipping case having a smooth surface on the outside of thetop and bottom to facilitate proper stacking of the cases one on top ofthe other; to provide extra heavy rims on the top and bottom edges allthe way around the case, together with extra corner protection to make apili'ero proof case; and to make a case in which the top and bottominterlocks with the body of 'the case so that itis impossible to removeeither one of them without first cutting the metal strapping; to providea case in which the strapping merely holds the top and bottom tightlyagainst the body of the case; to provide a case in which the tape seamis protected at its top and bottom so that it is impossible for it tostart to tear at these its weakest points; to provide novel means forsecuring the top and bottom to the case whereby the rounded corners areprovided and the cover may be removed by merely severing the fasteningstrap and to provide novel means for interlacing the metal strap withinopposite portions of the top to provide a more eilicient sealing means.

I attain these and other objects of my invention by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanylng drawings, in which- 7 Figure 1 is a,plan view of the blank from which the walls of the case are made;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the blank from which both the top and bottomare made;

Fig 3 is a perspective view of the bottom (or top) blank in partlyfolded position;

which the walls of the case are formed in folded Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview of the case with the walls and bottom of the case in completelyassembled position, and the blank forming the top blank which forms thewalls of the case.

Like numerals designate like parts in each of the several views.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I provide a blank, as shown inFig. 1, from which the side walls of the case are formed; these wallsbeing designated l, 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Each of the walls has aflap 5 connected to the respective walls of the case by a narrow flapsection 60. which is defined by the parallel spaced Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the blank from of the case in partly assembledposition, with the creases 6, as shown in Fig. 1. The flaps 5 -arespaced from each other by a narrow slot la. The blank forming the wallsof the case are held in assembled position by the strip of tape 1 pastedacross the free edges of the contiguous walls 4 and l, as shown in Fig.4.

In Fig. Z'there is illustrated a blank which may be used for formingeither the top or the bottom of the case, the top and bottom beingidentical in shape and mode of assembling. This blank consists of 'a topor bottom portion 8 having a pair of opposite flaps 9, narrow flapsections l2 defined by creases II, and flap extensions Ill. The flaps 9,as shown in Fig. 2 are of slightly less width than the width of the top(or bottom) members 8.

Member 8 also has a pairof opposite flaps 9a, narrow flapextensions l2adefined by the creases II a. Flap extensions Illa and l2a are ofslightly shorter length than the flap .9a, whereby to provide therecessed portions l8. This also eflects a slight saving of material.

The cut-in portion l3, as shown in Fig. 2, allows the folding crease I lto lie outside the outer surface of the walls of the shipping case topermit vertical folding of the flaps.

In making this shipping case a blank is cut and creased to form the sidewalls, as shown in Fig. 1. Blanks similar to the one shown in Fig. 2 arecut and creased to form the top and bottom of the case. The blank shownin Fig. l is folded as shown in Fig. 4 and the strip of tape 1,preferably fabric tape, is glued on, to foldably connect the free edgesof adjacent sides 4 and I. If desired, the tape may be stitched on,preferably with wire instead of being glued.

In assembling the shipping case, the blank forming the walls of the caseis seated on the blank forming the bottom of the case and the flaps l0and Illa are folded over to enclose the flaps 5 of the sides of thecase, as shown in Fig. 4. The edge portions of flaps i0 and lllawhenfolded in assembled position engage the portion of the bottom of thecase between the crease ll adjacent the wall of the case and the nextparallel crease II. The spaced parallel creases ll give the flaps thenecessary flexibility for folding, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The top of the case which is of like shape as the bottom of the case ishandled in a similar manner. Metal strips l4 are then inserted betweenflaps 9 and I 0 on opposite sides of the case and exterior to the flapsIlla and are sealed by suitable seals'S, as shown in Fig. 5. The flapsIlla. and l2a are cut a little short, which provides of the case.

threading room for the straps I, as the straps l4 are inserted on theinside of the flaps l0 and then pass outside the flaps Illa, as shown inFig. 5. This construction efiects a slight saving in board material. Italso has an advantage over the construction shown in my patentapplication, Serial No. 188,378 on which this is an improvement in that,regardless of how much the corners are crushed in, the bands cannot moveup or down; it also forces the customer or packers to place the band inthe correct position, which takes advantage of all leverage in pullingoutside rims into place.

The interlocking of the flaps of the sides of the case with the flaps ofthe top and bottom respectively makes it proof against pilfering,although it may be readily opened by cutting the metal sealing straps M.

It will be noted that as thus constructed, the

case provides perfectly smooth surfaces inside the box on all sides andon the top and on the bottom It also provides perfectly smooth outersurfaces on both the top and bottom of the case, which facilitatesproper stacking of the cases and is a distinct advantage in moving thecases about one on top of the other and no object such as strapping orstring touching each other.

My construction provides extra large rims at the top and bottom edgesall the way around the case, together with extra corner protection. Alsoas the flaps of the top and of the bottom of the case interlock with theflaps at the top and bottom of the side walls of the case,-it isimpossible to geteither the top or the bottom of the case off withoutcutting the straps M. The strain is not placed on the strapping as inordinary cases but u the strapping merely holds the top and bottomtightly against the body of the case. The corners of the case arerounded by reason of the pressure of the straps l4 and these roundededges will not cut the fingers when handling the case.

The-fabric tape i2 is glued onto adjacent sides I and 4 tofoldablyiconnect the free edges of the walls of the case and has the topand bottom portions of the tape concealed and protected to preventtearing.

The case can be used over and over again, inasmuch as all that isnecessary is to replace the cover and fold the flaps as before, andrestrap. The case can be made out of single wall construction corrugatedmaterial, double wall construction corrugated material, either what isknown as A flute or B flute, or can be made out of any heavy solidcardboard material such as fiber, etc.

A vital weakness on ordinary cases, particularly where carrying heavygoods, is at the top and bottom edges and corners; also on the tapeseam; also the fact that there are no places to gethold of the case forhandling or moving it about. Extra strapping'can of course be placedaround the case if necessary. However, this is not usually advisableinasmuch as the case can be handled and moved about better without anyextra strapping. Cases of this type would not require an inside liningsuch as is necessary to use on wood and veneer. At the same time it hasall the strength of the two mentioned.

The top and bottom rims can be made any desired size and if desired canbe of sufllcient size to curve down towards the center of the body ofthe case to give added strength.

What I claim is:

1. In a shipping case of the type described, the combination of a blankfolded to form the sides of the case, means foldably connecting adjacentfree edges of the sides of the case, flaps at the top and bottom of eachof the sides, each of said flaps having a pair of spaced parallelcreases on the portion of the flaps adjacent the sides, like top andbottom blanks forming the top and bottom of the case, each of saidblanks having flaps of slightly less length than the length of thecorresponding sides of the top and bottom of the case, each of saidflaps having a pair of spaced parallel creases positioned approximatelyat their median portion to form outer and inner flap elements, the flapson the bottom and top blanks foldably engaging over the flaps of thesides of the case to interlock with same when the case is assembled, thepair of opposite end flaps oi the top and bottom flaps being of slightlyshorter length than the flaps of which they are an extension, metalstraps binding the bottom and top of the case in a tightly assembledposition on the case, said straps being inserted within flap members onopposite sides of the case and exteriorly to the pair of opposite flapmembers of the remaining sides of the case, substantially as shown.

2. In a shipping case of the type described, the combination of a blankfolded to form the sides of the case, means foldably connecting adjacentifreeedges of the sides of the case, flaps at the top and bottom of eachof the sides, each of said flaps having a pair of spaced parallelcreases on the portion of the flaps adjacent the sides, like top andbottom blanks forming the top and-bottom of the case, each having flaps,and each of said flaps having a pair of spaced parallel creasespositioned approximately at their median portion to form outer and innerflap elements, the outer flap element being of slightly greater widththan the width of the flaps of the sides of the case, whereby the flapson the bottom and top blanks may fold- WALTER A. BECKER.

